A New Hub, A New Home

Our Hub is here! After months of construction, weeks of uncertainty, and plenty of other challenges, our Ayrshire Food Hub building is finally here! Everyone involved with Crossroads Community Hub has been putting in a huge amount of work for many, many years. With Ayrshire Food Hub now being established, this building represents a real triumph of dedication, creativity, innovation, and passion.

The building at Crossroads, just outside Hurlford, is home to our café, farm shop, and event space. We also have a meeting room and a development kitchen available for start-up businesses and fledgling cooks, bakers, and chefs.

Our Journey

Back in 2011 after Crossroads Primary school was demolished, a group of locals, encouraged by clear support from households in the surrounding area, began making plans to create a focal point for the community. Through various projects, surveys and means of support, the idea continued to develop.

Over the following years, grants were earned and partnerships formed, all while listening to what the community wanted. Fresh produce, the support of local suppliers and a helping hand to celebrate what the area had to offer – all keystones in what would make up Crossroads Community Hub and Ayrshire Food Hub’s objectives.

The Darvel Hub and Our Other Work

As excited as we all are to get in the new building, we have to acknowledge our humble Darvel Hub for being home to our hard work for so long. Tens of THOUSANDS of meals prepared and distributed from that unassuming little kitchen! The Darvel Hub put us smack bang in the middle of one of the communities that we looked to engage with, and this allowed us to get closer to the people we hoped to serve well.

All of that good work and service will continue! Our Edible Beds project, work in local polytunnels and cooking activities will remain an important aspect of our efforts to offer access to fresh food, a base knowledge of how it is cultivated and what benefits it offers.

What the New Hub Offers

Our new building allows us to work cohesively to produce and promote some of the best food available in Ayrshire.

The farm shop will be a larder for all of Ayrshire! We will stock staples, sweets, savoury treats, and some unique and delicious produce sourced from our doorstep.

A coffee shop that has a true sense of community. Somewhere to grab a bite for breakfast, an ideal spot for brunch, and perfect for lunch with friends or family. Not only will we be using the finest Ayrshire ingredients, but we will uncover and promote Ayrshire’s food heritage. Our menu will include family favourites and dishes that bring back childhood memories.

Our meeting room offers a space for individuals in the community to conducts meetings, interviews or chats that require a dedicated, private, professional space.

A flexible event space is also available within the Hub. Perfect for group activities, functions and meetings, it can provide a hassle-free space for all kinds of events.

The development kitchen will be there for any aspiring cooks looking to hone their skills, grow their start-up business or impart their knowledge to others in classes or demonstrations.

We hope that you will all be able to celebrate with us (restrictions permitting!) in our new building. A wee roll, a cup of coffee and a slice of cake are in order!